there is a Bloomberg article that quotes Stern as saying overinvesting in China is a mistake. But then my first impression when seeing pictures of what they have out this year and I just think WTF? I'm sure there are other markets in the world that find these ultra-high-end jewelry pieces attractive, but it coincidentally fits right into much of what the Chinese market and buyers with funds are looking for.http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-25/patek-philippe-s-stern-says-overinvesting-in-china-is-a-mistake.html
Alex, please remove the link if it's in violation.
BR, Dan

supporting the luxury industry and as such brands will cater to them. On the other hand there is a very fine line not to be troden between appealing to the Chinese clientele and making watches specially for that market.
The Chinese like Swiss watches because....they're Swiss and look Swiss and are infused with the European design elements. When a brand starts putting 8s all over the dials with dragons and Chinese symbols the Chinese clientel will turn away as they will not recognize the elements which are important to them.
On the other hand making a handful of blinged out grand complications obviously targeting the Chinese isn't really a big deal, its not going to change the brand image IMO.

what is the current Chinese sensibility for watch design? Recall the Chinoiserie period of the 18th century when European art imitated Chinese themes, which spilled into watches of the early 1900s. Verger Freres did some fantastic work in that regard for V&C.

and received through conversations with others (buyers and sellers). Nothing close to real marketing information, survey data, or statistics.
With globalization and telecommunications the way they are now in the 21st century, I think information is much more free flowing. I can find at least 3-4 different watch magazines at every little newspaper/magazine stall in the large cities. There have been TV news shows that talk about watches as well, unfortunately they tend to talk about them more in terms of being investment vehicles - which seems to be a popular concept these days.
I haven't really seen a specific art style that has taken the chinese watch market by storm.
What I can see is a segmented market in China (which I imagine is similar to many others regions of the world):
1. A group of buyers/collectors that are very knowledgeable about watches and know what they want before they enter a store. These people tend to favor classical styles from the best brands (i.e., VC, Patek, etc.), which are also seen as brands for the older, more-established, and wealthy clientele.
2. A group that is less interested in the watch/horology itself, but more interested in the brand name being recognized (by others) as the very best (which is often measured by price). Exclusivity is key and therefore I think VC's Cabinitoirs has a great opportunity with Chinese clientele. Swiss watches in general automatically have that image of quality and luxury (similar to the perception that German cars are automatically the best simply because they are German). Diamond encrusted watches provide the immediate recognition of a high priced product - which definitely has its fans. It's easier for others to see the value of diamonds vs. the value of a tourbillon, perpetual calendar, minute repeater, rattrapante, etc. Adding diamonds to a grande complication watch just adds to the exclusivity/prestige of the piece.
3. Both groups (and everybody else that falls in between) seem to be willing/interested in learning more about watches though, which I think is a good thing as there seems to be interest in dialogue.
Just my 2 cents and view from the crowd.
BR, Dan